1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to mechanisms for installation, administration and maintenance of promotion/pay-at-the-table devices that are used in restaurant and hospitality environments.
2. Background of the Related Art
A system of digital promotion/pay-at-the-table devices is known in the prior art. One such commercial system is the Ziosk, available from Tabletop Media, LLC, of Dallas Tex.
A Ziosk® device typically is implemented as an apparatus that comprises, within a self-contained housing, a display, a reader, a printer, electronics, and a battery. The housing is configured to position the display to a patron seated at a serving area for order data entry, display of information, and invoicing. A server computer is communicatively coupled to the apparatus over a wireless link and is adapted to transmit a control program to the apparatus, and to transmit the information. A control program executing on the apparatus facilitates order entry, order management, point-of-sale system integration, and pay-at-the-table processing. During the payment workflow, an invoice is displayed, a payment (e.g., via credit card, gift card, pre-paid card or debit card) is received and processed, and the invoice is printed.
The installation, activation and maintenance of such devices is a complex task, as these devices (and their control systems) are typically added or retrofitted to or within existing restaurant/hospitality environments in which other wireline and wireless systems and infrastructure are already present. The pay-at-the-table devices must be installed, tested and operated in a seamless and secure manner, and without disruption to existing systems within the local operating environment. Once installed, there may be a need to re-activate the devices periodically or, upon occasion, to de-activate a particular device and take it out of service. These tasks must be carried out with as little interruption to the existing activities at the restaurant/hospitality environment in which they are occurring.